Alarm activated safety device
An alarm activated safety device includes an enclosure. A longitudinal member having an anchorage point for coupling the alarm activated safety device to a work structure and a safety device connection point located thereon extends through the enclosure and is moveable between a first position with the safety device connection point located within the enclosure to a second position with the safety device connection point located at least partially outside of the enclosure to allow for connection of a safety device thereto. An alarm device is coupled to an alarm control circuit. A switch is configured to operate the alarm control circuit. The switch is engaged by the longitudinal member to move the switch from an activated position for the alarm control circuit when the longitudinal member is in the first position to a deactivated position for the alarm control circuit when the longitudinal member is in the second position.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/241,228, filed on Sep. 7, 2021 and entitled “ALARM ACTIVATED SAFETY DEVICE” the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELDThe present disclosure relates generally to a safety device, more particularly, to an alarm activated safety devices.
BACKGROUNDThe Code of Federal Regulations, 29 CFR 1926.501 requires that employees working at heights be protected from falls which could result in worker injury. For example, workers are required to wear a personal fall arrest system with connected lanyard when working in an aerial situation, such as in a bucket truck, scaffolding, man lift, or crane with personnel man basket. However, often times workers fail to remember to attach the absorbing lanyard from the body harness to the proper anchor point. Most conventional safety devices designed to remind workers to make or monitor the connection are built into the lift and/or are expensive.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming these and other deficiencies in the art.
Description of the Related Art Section Disclaimer: To the extent that specific patents/publications/products are discussed above in this Description of the Related Art Section or elsewhere in this disclosure, these discussions should not be taken as an admission that the discussed patents/publications/products are prior art for patent law purposes. For example, some or all of the discussed patents/publications/products may not be sufficiently early in time, may not reflect subject matter developed early enough in time and/or may not be sufficiently enabling so as to amount to prior art for patent law purposes. To the extent that specific patents/publications/products are discussed above in this Description of the Related Art Section and/or throughout the application, the descriptions/disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated by reference into this document in their respective entirety(ies).
SUMMARYOne aspect of the present disclosure relates to an alarm activated safety device. The alarm activated safety device includes an enclosure having an opening extending therethrough. A longitudinal member having an anchorage point for coupling the alarm activated safety device to a work structure and a safety device connection point located thereon extends through the opening of the enclosure and is moveable between a first position with the safety device connection point located within the enclosure to a second position with the safety device connection point located at least partially outside of the enclosure to allow for connection of a safety device thereto. Connection of the safety device to the safety device connection point precludes movement of the longitudinal member back to the first position. An alarm device is located within the enclosure and is coupled to an alarm control circuit that activates and deactivates the alarm device. A switch is configured to operate the alarm control circuit. The switch is engaged by the longitudinal member to move the switch from an activated position for the alarm control circuit when the longitudinal member is in the first position to a deactivated position for the alarm control circuit when the longitudinal member is in the second position.
Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a method for providing an alarm to ensure use of a safety device. The method includes providing the device described herein with the longitudinal member initially coupled to the work structure in a configuration that requires decoupling of the device to obtain access to the work structure. The longitudinal member is in the second position to provide the deactivated position for the alarm control circuit of the alarm device. The device is decoupled from the work structure to provide access to the work structure. The decoupling of the device moves the longitudinal member to the first position to provide the active position for the alarm control circuit of the alarm device. The anchorage point of the longitudinal member is coupled to the work structure. The safety device is coupled to the safety device connection point of the longitudinal member. The longitudinal member is moved to the second position to provide the deactivated position for the alarm control circuit of the alarm device.
A further aspect of this disclosure relates to a method for providing an alarm to ensure use of a safety device. The method includes providing the device described herein further comprising a cord attached to the alarm control circuit. The alarm control circuit is disabled when the cord is attached and activated when the cord is detached. The anchorage point of the longitudinal member is coupled to the work structure such that movement of the work structure detaches the cord from the device to active the alarm control circuit. The safety device is coupled to the safety device connection point of the longitudinal member. The longitudinal member is moved to the second position to provide the deactivated position for the alarm control circuit of the alarm device.
The alarm activated safety device according to one embodiment is a device that activates an alarm if a user's lanyard is not hooked up to the connection point. The safety device can be used in outdoor situations such as to activate an alarm when a user is not hooked up to a lanyard when in a bucket truck. The device can also be used in other outdoor or indoor applications for example when a user is using equipment such as scissor lift or boom lift.
The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the disclosed subject matter and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosed subject matter may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
Reference is now made briefly to the accompanying drawings, in which:
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an alarm activated safety device. The alarm activated safety device includes an enclosure having an opening extending therethrough. A longitudinal member having an anchorage point for coupling the alarm activated safety device to a work structure and a safety device connection point located thereon extends through the opening of the enclosure and is moveable between a first position with the safety device connection point located within the enclosure to a second position with the safety device connection point located at least partially outside of the enclosure to allow for connection of a safety device thereto. Connection of the safety device to the safety device connection point precludes movement of the longitudinal member back to the first position. An alarm device is located within the enclosure and is coupled to an alarm control circuit that activates and deactivates the alarm device. A switch is configured to operate the alarm control circuit. The switch is engaged by the longitudinal member to move the switch from an activated position for the alarm control circuit when the longitudinal member is in the first position to a deactivated position for the alarm control circuit when the longitudinal member is in the second position.
An exemplary alarm activated safety device 10 of this disclosure is illustrated in
Referring now to
Referring more specifically to
Longitudinal member 14 extends through enclosure 12. In this example, the longitudinal member 14 is formed of stainless steel or low carbon steel to provide a high weight rating to support the weight of a user of the alarm activated safety device 10 in the event of a fall, although other suitable materials could be employed. In one example, has a thickness of about ¼ inch. The longitudinal member 14 can be machined, laser cut, forged, or blanked. The longitudinal member 14 can include a rust prevention treatment in some examples.
Longitudinal member 14 includes an anchorage point 36 located at one end thereof and extending out of the enclosure 12. Anchorage point 36 provides an aperture that can be utilized to couple the alarm activated safety device 10 to a work structure, such as the side of a bucket truck for example. For example, the anchorage point 36 could be coupled to the work structure using a carabiner. Although the anchorage point 36 is shown in
Referring now more specifically to
The longitudinal member 14 is moveable between a first position with the safety device connection point 38 located within the enclosure 12 (
The spring 40 biases the longitudinal member 14 to the first position with the safety device connection point 38 located within the enclosure 12. The longitudinal member 14 can be pushed against the force of and compress the spring 40 to expose the safety device connection point 38, as shown in
Referring now more specifically to
Referring now to
Referring to
The alarm device 20 is located within the enclosure 12 and is coupled to the alarm control circuit 18. The alarm control circuit 18 activates and deactivates the alarm device 20 based on operation of the switch 16 as described above. In one example, the alarm device 20 is a model number STI-6200 or STI-6255 siren produced by STI Electronics, Inc. (Madison, Alabama), although other alarm devices could be employed. In one example, the alarm device 20 is aligned with the openings 32 in the enclosure 12 to emit sound therefrom. In one example, the alarm device 20 has an output of about 105 dB, although other volumes can be used. In one example, the volume of the alarm device 20 is adjustable. In another example, the volume of the alarm device 20 is variable. In one example, the alarm device 20 provides a first output at a lower volume during a first period of time, such as about 15 seconds, after the switch 16 is moved to the activated position for the alarm control circuit 18 and a second output at a higher volume after the first period of time has expired.
In another example, the alarm activated safety device 10 includes an RF transmitter 50 that allows for transfer of the alarm to a remote device having a RF receiver to receive an indication of a failure to couple the safety device at a remote location. In one example, the remote device is coupled to a plurality of alarm activated safety devices to obtain safety information. For example, a foreman could have access to the remote device to determine the status of the safety connection for a number of workers.
An exemplary operation of the alarm activated safety device shown in
When the user disconnects the alarm activated safety device 10 to obtain access to the work structure, the longitudinal member 14 moves to the first position (e.g., as shown in
Another exemplary alarm activated safety device 100 of this disclosure is illustrated in
Referring to
The cord 156 when connected within the enclosure 112 contacts a switch, such as a reed switch, held in switch casing 158 (shown in
In one example, as shown in
Aspects of the present invention and certain features, advantages, and details thereof, are explained more fully below with reference to the non-limiting examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Descriptions of well-known structures are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the invention in detail. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific non-limiting examples, while indicating aspects of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, and are not by way of limitation. Various substitutions, modifications, additions, and/or arrangements, within the spirit and/or scope of the underlying inventive concepts will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise” (and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (and any form of have, such as, “has” and “having”), “include” (and any form of include, such as “includes” and “including”), and “contain” (any form of contain, such as “contains” and “containing”) are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a method or device that “comprises”, “has”, “includes” or “contains” one or more steps or elements. Likewise, a step of method or an element of a device that “comprises”, “has”, “includes” or “contains” one or more features possesses those one or more features but is not limited to possessing only those one or more features. Furthermore, a device or structure that is configured in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below, if any, are intended to include any structure, material or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of one or more aspects of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand one or more aspects of the present invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
Claims
1. An alarm activated safety device comprising:
- an enclosure having an opening extending therethrough;
- a longitudinal member having an anchorage point for coupling the alarm activated safety device to a work structure and a safety device connection point located thereon, the longitudinal member extending through the opening of the enclosure and moveable between a first position with the safety device connection point located within the enclosure to a second position with the safety device connection point located at least partially outside of the enclosure to allow for connection of a safety device thereto, wherein connection of the safety device to the safety device connection point precludes movement of the longitudinal member back to the first position;
- an alarm device coupled to an alarm control circuit that activates and deactivates the alarm device; and
- a switch configured to operate the alarm control circuit, wherein the switch is engaged by the longitudinal member to move the switch from an activated position for the alarm control circuit when the longitudinal member is in the first position to a deactivated position for the alarm control circuit when the longitudinal member is in the second position.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is waterproof, shockproof, or heatproof.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the enclosure has one or more openings for emitting sound from the alarm device.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal member is spring-loaded within the enclosure.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal member is formed from steel.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the switch is a reed switch.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the longitudinal member comprises an indentation along a surface thereof for receiving the reed switch therein.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein the alarm device provides a first output during a first period of time after the switch is moved to the activated position for the alarm control circuit and a second output after the first period of time has expired.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein the first output is at a lower volume than the second output.
10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a cord attached to the alarm control circuit wherein the alarm control circuit is disabled when the cord is attached and activated when the cord is detached.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the alarm device is configured to provide an alarm to a remote location.
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the safety device is a lanyard.
13. The device of claim 1, wherein the work structure is a bucket truck, a scissor lift, or a boom lift.
14. A method for providing an alarm to ensure use of a safety device, the method comprising:
- providing the device of claim 1 with the longitudinal member initially coupled to the work structure in a configuration that requires decoupling of the device to obtain access to the work structure, wherein the longitudinal member is in the second position to provide the deactivated position for the alarm control circuit of the alarm device;
- decoupling the device from the work structure to provide access to the work structure, wherein the decoupling of the device moves the longitudinal member to the first position to provide the active position for the alarm control circuit of the alarm device;
- coupling to the anchorage point of the longitudinal member to the work structure; and
- coupling the safety device to the safety device connection point of the longitudinal member, wherein the longitudinal member is moved to the second position to provide the deactivated position for the alarm control circuit of the alarm device.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the alarm device provides a first output during a first period of time after the activated position for the alarm control circuit is provided and a second output after the first period of time has expired.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first output is at a lower volume than the second output.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the work structure is a bucket truck, a scissor lift, or a boom lift.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the device is initially coupled to prevent access to a work compartment of the work structure.
19. A method for providing an alarm to ensure use of a safety device, the method comprising:
- providing the device of claim 1, the device further comprising a cord or key attached to the alarm control circuit wherein the alarm control circuit is disabled when the cord or key is attached and activated when the cord or key is detached;
- coupling the anchorage point of the longitudinal member to the work structure such that movement of the work structure detaches the cord or key from the device to active the alarm control circuit; and
- coupling the safety device to the safety device connection point of the longitudinal member, wherein the longitudinal member is moved to the second position to provide the deactivated position for the alarm control circuit of the alarm device.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the work structure is a bucket truck, a scissor lift, or a boom lift.
| 7836529 | November 23, 2010 | Cherubini |
| 20200222732 | July 16, 2020 | Rutkowski |
| 20200260824 | August 20, 2020 | Moran |
| 20210031062 | February 4, 2021 | Huseth |
| 20220254240 | August 11, 2022 | Meyers |
Type: Grant
Filed: Sep 7, 2022
Date of Patent: Oct 14, 2025
Assignee: New River Electrical Innovations, LLC (Cloverdale, VA)
Inventors: Johnny Lanning (Troutville, VA), Mark Garofano (Camillus, NY), Timothy Batty (Binghamton, NY), Barry Williams (Buchanan, VA)
Primary Examiner: Anh V La
Application Number: 17/930,179
International Classification: G08B 23/00 (20060101); A62B 35/00 (20060101); G08B 21/02 (20060101);